Dorothy Wagner

Dorothy Wagner holds a Master of Music from the Yale School of Music.

Born and raised in New York City, Dorothy was fortunate to study guitar from the age of eight with M.G. Michos, music arranger for Radio City Music Hall. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Guitar from Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music, while also working for Guitar Review Magazine. She studied at the International Guitar Festival in Córdoba, Spain, and earned a scholarship to the Yale School of Music, where she studied with Benjamin Verdery.

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Dorothy met rock/blues guitarist Dennis Smith, and together they formed the guitar duo Aerial Acoustics which has been performing for nearly 30 years. Staying close to home while raising her family, Dorothy’s duo has performed throughout the East Coast, from Woodstock to the White House and has produced three albums of original instrumentals and covers of rock, blues, classical and pop.

Dorothy has taught guitar at the Stecher and Horowitz School of the Arts, Woodmere Music Studios, Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn, Marymount School of New York, as well as her own private studio in Belle Harbor, NY. She has successfully prepared students for NYSSMA, numerous recitals, and auditions for LaGuardia High School of Music and Art and Performing Arts, Bay Academy, Xaverian High School, and Mark Twain Intermediate School.

Dorothy believes in setting good posture and technique early in lessons, while also having students begin playing some of their favorite songs or pieces soon into their studies, thus fostering an enthusiasm for learning. In addition to using method books to develop sight reading, she encourages learning in the myriad ways in which guitar music is conveyed, from reading chord charts, to tablature, to developing aural skills. Passion, fun, enthusiasm, and patience are her guiding principles and she believes the experience of learning music can also translate to successful learning in other aspects of a student's life. With a nurturing and positive attitude, Dorothy always aims to foster a lifelong love of music and guitar in all of her students.